The History of Red Velvet Cake

No matter if you eat it in a cupcake form or as a traditional cake, one thing is certain: everyone loves a great red velvet recipe. But did you know that red velvet is not technically its own kind of flavor? Rather, it is actually a variation of chocolate cake. Much like how Devil’s food cake is just another variation of chocolate cake.

Originating out of the United States, red velvet cake is traditionally eaten during the times where the color red is most popular, which are Christmas and Valentine’s Day. But let us be honest – red velvet is great any day of the year.

The original red velvet cake recipe was actually created by the chefs at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, and was known as the Waldorf-Astoria Cake before it was coined with the name “red velvet.” However, many people attribute the birth place of red velvet to the southern states in America, Louisiana in particular. This belief stuck around because one of the more popular frosting options for red velvet cake is a roux icing (ermine icing), which is a French-style butter frosting.

But despite the back and forth arguments of where red velvet came from, the company that made red velvet popular in America was Adams Extract, which was based in Texas during this time. They achieved this through selling red food coloring made from beets and other color extracts that came with free and tear-able recipe cards.

The timing couldn’t be more perfect for red velvet to gain traction in America during the Great Depression. Because the red food coloring was made from beets, it kept the actual cake part of red velvet moist, which meant that people and families could enjoy red velvet cake over extended periods of time and ultimately save money.